The Trials of Heroes
by Dusty Paws
Summary: After finishing the JL School for Heroes and helping Harry Potter the Teen Titans went home, Phoenix and Crimson were given a city to protect and team bonds began to fray. What happens when the Northern Titans have to call on those bonds in order to live?
1. I: A Call for Help

Well now...I haven't written Teen Titans in a long time so forgive the rustiness of my keys won't you? This whole idea was born thanks to **Silent Blood Rose **who breathed life into the pairing of Phoenix/Raven. If you don't know who Phoenix is I recommend going back to my previous fanfictions, dreadful though they may be, called _Hero School _and _Heroes at Hogwarts_. It'll clear up a lot of things, trust me.

**Disclaimer**: I do not, and probably never will, own the Teen Titans. Although I do own Crimson and Phoenix who were born in my very own brain over a year ago.

Soo...**Silent Blood Rose**...This one will be for you :)

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Jump City shook on its very foundations as the villain of the day hit the floor for what the residents hoped would be the last time. It had already hit the concrete hard enough to break bones nearly eight times at the hands of the Teen Titans and it was hard to write in a straight line, or even drink your fourth coffee of the day when everything was shaking. The dark, strangely…gloopy creature didn't move again, except to leak away, leaving a sleeping man clad only in his underwear lying in the latest crater in the road.

The masked teenager, Robin, waved his team back to the ground to surround the slumbering man. One by one the changeling, the robot, the alien and the witch joined him. Beastboy, Cyborg, Starfire and Raven respectively stood stock still as they waited for the police to arrive.

They didn't have to wait long as a van skidded to a halt behind them, five policemen hopping out of it as if they hadn't been waiting around the corner for the teenage superheroes to deal with the threat for them. Mere seconds later a blue press van fishtailed to a stop beside it, in time to catch the highest ranking officer shaking Robin's hand.  
The press didn't miss that Raven and Cyborg, as of a few weeks ago the latest in-team breakup, were standing beside each other, smiling and shaking their heads at some inside joke. It only took a second for the nearest vulture to sidle up beside the pair and begin the list of questions that the ex-couple had already been subjected to a number of times. As with the last times, Raven simply pulled up her hood, smile fading, and disappeared into her dark power, leaving a small tear in reality behind her. Cyborg tapped Beastboy on the shoulder before following the witch, the changeling on his heels.

It appeared that the heroes hadn't brought their vehicles with them this time. Most people didn't find that hard to believe; it was rapidly approaching midday and also Christmas. It would have been hours for the teenagers to reach the site of the chaos in the traffic that day. Raven's power was much more serviceable, as Starfire and Robin both showed, disappearing into the sparking black tear, not even waiting to see Plasmus restrained as they undoubtedly would have, had the press not turned up.

With the heroes now gone and the remains of the witch's power already disappeared, the citizens of Jump City returned to their days as if nothing had happened. While below the police gave a full statement to the press that embellished JCPD's involvement.

/

Raven's power led the Teen Titans into their living room only seconds after they had left the streets of the city that they had sworn to protect. Immediately Raven sat on the sofa, pulling a book into her lap, more for the calming weight it offered than any wish to read it, and closed her amethyst eyes to the world.

Cyborg stepped out of the blackness then and took the spot beside her. Sure they'd broken up a few weeks ago, but they both agreed that it was for the best; they preferred each other as the best of friends than lovers. "Darn vultures." He muttered byway of greeting; she already knew he was there anyway. One deep purple eye opened to twinkle at him.  
"Tell me about it. The only emotions they have when they see us are lust, frustration and excitement." She marked a beat, long enough for the half-robot to realise that sometimes he forgot that the girl was an empathic creature. "The last has nothing to do with the first either." She added, waiting for him to laugh before chuckling herself.

"I'm still trying to figure out how they found out in the first place." Raven shrugged, pulling her hood away from her face. Cyborg moved a lock of violet hair from her eyes before she could, placed it gently behind her ear. "Sorry."  
"What are you sorry for, Cy?" Neither of the pair looked up as Beastboy hopped out of Raven's power and made for the kitchen, Starfire floating right behind him.  
"Bee asked me out the other day." She already knew of course. There was very little that her demonic hearing couldn't pick out when the Tower was quiet. And even if she hadn't heard Cyborg talking to Robin about Bumblebee while they were all training the day before, there was no way she could have missed the uneasiness that the half-robot felt whenever the heroine was mentioned lately.

"What did you say?" Her voice was soft and not even Cyborg's enhanced senses could pick out any trace of bitterness. Robin was stood behind them, trying not to look as if he was listening to every word, even though both Raven and Cyborg knew he was.

"I didn't know what to say. I hung up on her." The half-demon almost giggled. Almost. Instead she shook her head and placed a delicate hand onto Cyborg's.  
"You should've said yes." She smiled when he looked up at her. "Call her back and tell her you're taking her out on a date tonight. Somewhere nice." She levitated to her feet, pulling her best friend with her. "Don't forget to apologise for hanging up either. Bee's a great girl, but she will hold it against you." Cyborg smiled, and over Raven's shoulder he could see Robin smiling too, only his was proud, not relieved.

"Thanks, Rae." Cyborg squeezed her hand before he let go, and quickly walked from the room. Raven sat back down and was swiftly joined by her leader.  
"That was nice of you?" The masked teenager murmured, watching the empath flick through the yellowing pages of the book she had retrieved.  
"No need to sound so surprised. Not all of us object when our exes date other people." Raven quipped in her perfect monotone, her gaze flickering from her book to Starfire and back within an instant. "This won't affect our teamwork if that's what you're wondering." Robin shook his head, letting both comments pass him by.  
The first had stung but that was only because it was true. He had opposed Starfire's relationship with the hero who called himself Crimson at first. But that was because the young man in question had been stationed miles away with his partner, Phoenix.

"I wasn't." Robin murmured, tweaking his mask slightly. Raven closed her book and looked up at him.  
"Sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you." Robin saw her glance to Beastboy who they both knew was the one who had leaked the break-up to the press, albeit accidentally. Neither of them had told Cyborg though for fear that the older boy would make the changeling feel worse than he already did. "How's Phoenix lately?" He had forgotten that Raven had been close to his on and off girlfriend too, and ran a gloved hand through his heavily spiked hair.

"We haven't really spoken in a while." As his admission passed his lips the screen in front of them flickered to life and, as if on cue, gave the image of a girl with short dark hair and dark blue eyes. Phoenix.

The pyromancer was bruised and bloodied with a stark white bandage wrapped around her head. For some reason both of the birds in Titans Tower were sure that there were more bandages, they just couldn't see them. "Ok, this time I'm deadly serious Robin." The girl's voice was rough and she didn't bother greeting anyone as they flooded to the screen, with the exception of Cyborg.  
"What is it, Nix?" The leader asked quickly, cutting her off before she could continue her speech. Blue eyes locked with violet for a split second before they passed back to Robin. Raven placed a calming hand on her leader's exposed elbow, bidding him to let the firebird speak. Phoenix nodded her thanks.  
"Imago." No one knew who she was talking about. No one but Robin at any rate.

"Who?" Beastboy called over Raven's head, balancing on the balls of his feet to see the screen.

"He's a criminal. Think my Dad and cross him with Raven's. That should give a basic idea." Phoenix's voice lacked any of the humour her statement suggested and the changeling flinched at the idea. Phoenix's father was Slade; the criminal that had nearly killed all of them at least once. And Raven's was Trigon the Terrible; an interdimensional demon hell-bent on ruling Earth. "When I asked for your help with him last month, I meant I wanted the help _last month_, Robin." Raven shot the masked boy a glance, wondering why he hadn't obliged when it was so out of his character not to. Then she remembered that last month was the last time that Slade himself had been seen, laying the city to waste in his path. Robin had probably completely forgotten the criminal's daughter in his desperation to catch his nemesis.

"Friend?" Phoenix looked to Starfire and suddenly she seemed much older than she really was. "Where is boyfriend Matthew?" A pained look crossed the depths of the dark blue eyes and Raven feared the worst, just as she finally saw that none of the team the girl had gathered around her were present.

"In the infirmary." She muttered, looking down, probably at the control panel before. "It's bad. I don't need help out here anymore, Rich." The use of his birth name made Robin's eyes widen, shock and dread radiating from his body. "I need a whole new team."

* * *

Yeah, I beat my creations a lot...it's a bad habit that I can't seem to kick. Thank you for reading this and I hope you enjoyed it. I should be back soon with more.


	2. II: Flying North for the Winter

You know that feeling you get on Christmas Eve when you can't sleep? Yeah, that's me right now so I wrote a chapter in an attempt to tire myself :) Didn't work. Happy Holidays, guys.

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The Titans had each packed bags within minutes of Phoenix's face fading from the screen and were just beginning to load up the T-Ship when Cyborg entered the room, his one grey eye sparking with confusion. "What did I miss?" Raven and Robin shared a guilty look as they turned away from the vehicle, leaving the packing to Beastboy and Starfire.  
"Phoenix called, she needs our help up there." Robin's voice was that of a politician giving a statement to the masses and earned nothing but a quirked eyebrow from the half-robot. Raven sighed.

"Most of her team are injured, we didn't get many details, but she says it's bad and that she needs us." Hearing the slight tinge of emotion leeching into the empath's usual monotone, Cyborg nodded and half turned away.

"I'll grab a bag and call Bee back so she and the guys can cover us." Robin caught hold of the older boy's arm before he could get far.

"I want to ask you to stay here." Raven frowned, testing their bond with ethereal fingers; he hadn't run this by anyone else first. He must have felt her concern because he shot her a quick glance and a quicker smile, laced with as much reassurance as a second could hold. "The crime rate's quite high right now and it'll take Titans East a while to get here. I need someone I can trust here to keep lookout." That there was something that Robin was extremely good at; making people feel important as he filtered them into the positions he wanted them in. "Take Bee on that date and keep my city safe for me. We ok?" Cyborg smiled at both of the birds warmly. He knew when he was being railroaded but he had the grace not to pick his leader up on it, the technicolour bird was probably just trying to ensure that no problems arose between him and Raven. Robin held out a hand that Cyborg shook without hesitation.

"Yeah, man, we're cool." He turned his human eye onto Raven then, releasing the green gloved hand of his leader to pull the empath into a loose hug. "Take care of him, will you? You know how he gets sometimes." He whispered the words in her ear, barely audible even to him, but he knew that she would hear. A barely perceptible nod as she pulled away was his answer and the sparkle in her dark eyes her well wishes for him. He waved as they turned to get into the T-Ship, Robin in the centre  
with Raven on the right wing, with the defences. There was no need for him to say goodbyes; they would be back soon enough.

Cyborg retreated out of the garage and into the main building as the engines roared into life, avoiding the jets that filled the room with orange flames and charcoal smoke. He coughed and closed his human eye as the smoke got down his throat. By the time his scarlet, robotic eye had compensated, the T-Ship, and his teammates, were a mere speck in the pale blue sky.

/

The T-Ship touched down in the largest cave in a large formation just outside of Sol city, and, as the engines began to cool, a solid metal door closed off the cavern. "Hey." A rough voice greeted them from a dark corner of the cave and deep blue eyes glittered as they followed the Titans descent to the rocky floor. Robin, first on the ground, looked around to see Phoenix limp from the shadows, leaning lightly against the wall.

His masked eyes narrowed in concern; she was stood stiffly as if she were trying to keep her firebird adorned uniform from touching her skin. Her feet were bare bar a bandage on the left and her arms were mottled blue and purple.

"Hi." It was hard to keep the anger towards the criminal who'd beaten her so badly from his voice.

"Dude." Beastboy's low whistle was a bold underline to the state of their friend. The firebird shrugged, trying and failing to hide the wince that the movement caused. "You look like Robin does after Slade." Raven elbowed the changeling sharply, shooting him a dark look. Beastboy ran a hand through his emerald hair, offering a sheepish smile. Fortunately Starfire took the attention from the green boy by flying past the line of her team and enveloping the Northern Titans' leader in a surprisingly loose hug.

"Friend, you are injured." The Tameranian held her at arm's length to inspect the injuries

"Easy, Star." Robin cut across the greetings, stepping forwards as soon as the alien girl let go, drifting to stand back. "What happened?" Phoenix cracked a half smile, flicking her wrist to check her too loose red watch. A watch that Robin recognised as Crimson's.

"Always business, Wonder Boy." The firebird turned, pressing a barely visible button on the wall with her thumb to make the rock face give way to the heroes and reveal the elevator car beyond. "You mind if we move this downstairs? I need to check on Matt and Ike." She didn't wait for an answer; she merely entered the lift and waited for the others to follow. The question was merely a formality, and while the words were typical of the girl, none of the usual emotion lurked behind them.

"Are you ok?" Raven murmured as the elevator doors closed and the machine lurched into life. Phoenix gave another half smile that failed to reach her eyes.  
"I got off lightly. I guess Imago gets bored easily." Beastboy scoffed, letting his emerald eyes catalogue her injuries. He knew there were more her uniform; the Beast within could smell the blood.

"This is lightly?"

"Compared to the others it is." The elevator ground to a halt, letting the Titans into a rock lined corridor. "I'll meet you in the main room in a few minutes. It's straight down the hall." No one moved. "Go ahead. I'll drop by the infirmary, then I'll be right up."

"Be safe, friend Phoenix. Are you sure you do not need assistance?" Starfire stopped halfway out of the elevator, letting Beastboy pass her by, eager to explore and less eager to see the state of the rest of Phoenix's team. Robin and Raven hadn't moved at all. The watch began to beep insistently, earning it an irritated glance from the firebird.  
"I'm sure. There's nothing you could do anyway." Raven touched her bond with Robin gently as the boy finally stepped into the corridor. He understood instantly and smiled.  
"Raven could." Phoenix let out a heavy sigh as she looked past the empath to her currently ex-lover. She held his masked gaze only long enough to push another button, blinking as the doors closed on Robin, Beastboy and Starfire.

"Now he's gone, answer my question. Are you ok?" Raven folded her arms, watching her friend use the metal walls to stand.  
"I think I can remember being worse." The empath quirked an eyebrow as the doors opened again on another stone corridor and Phoenix began to stumble out ahead, only to stop at the corner. "Of course that could've just been regaining consciousness in a hospital yesterday." Raven let out a soft laugh, drifting just above the floor to follow her.  
"Hospital? Are you even supposed to be walking around yet?"

"Technically no, but what does Doctor Cortez know anyway?" Her ankle may have been badly swollen but the firebird made good time to the infirmary; the cloaked girl had only just drawn level with her as she entered the next room.

Only one of the four beds inside was occupied; Phoenix swore under her breath. "Matt?" Her voice echoed slightly, she shook her head as she hobbled inside to make her way over to the nearest bed and the midnight blue haired boy who was unconscious in it. The firebird checked over the machines quickly, brushing a stray lock of hair from her patient's face. It was only then that Raven saw the dangerously deep tear at the junction of his throat and shoulder. As Phoenix turned away to shamble towards the other end of the room, Raven passed a glowing blue hand across the wound, closing the tear to a pale scar.

"I forget you can do that." Phoenix reappeared beside Raven, smiling to herself as she injected a clear liquid into the boy's arm. Before the plunger even reached a quarter of the way down the syringe a cold hand closed around Phoenix's wrist.

"He doesn't need sedating anymore." The look in the empath's eyes was half confused and half worried. The other girl gently removed her friend's grip.

"Ike's little sister, Ayla, you remember her?" She waited for Raven to give a nod. "Imago killed her in front of him. He didn't _need_ sedating before, but he wanted to be. He doesn't want to face it yet." The look in the familiar amethyst eyes was clear now. "I know it'll only be worse when he wakes up, Rae. I _know_." Raven sighed and looked away as Phoenix finally finished giving Ike the sedative. Setting the needle aside the firebird placed a calloused hand on Raven's arm. "It's only for two days, including today. He woke up in the hospital and screamed for Ayla." She stopped, hearing the yells again in her head. Raven closed her eyes as the echoes reached her own mental ears. "He fought the doctors, the nurses and me before he remembered." At the next break in speech a wave of weariness emanated from the pyromancer and the empath took pity on her.

"Where's Crimson?"  
"He probably escaped again, either to his room, the games room or the main room."

/

"Dude, who is this Imago?" Beastboy entered the control room backwards, talking to Robin as the doors opened behind him. The room was much like the one in their own tower, only the walls were made of stone rather than metal.

"He calls himself Imago Dei." It wasn't Robin who answered the green boy and the changeling whirled around, already in a fighting stance before he saw the young man in the wheelchair rolling over to greet them.

"Boyfriend Matthew!" Starfire cheered flying over to the chair-bound hero and somehow enveloping him in a tight hug. Crimson winced in obvious pain, but schooled his features into a smile when the alien released him.

"Hey, Star." Starfire remained floating beside his chair as Robin and Beastboy took seats on the half-circle sofa nearby. "Imago is-was a mercenary who got sick of doing the grunt. A while back he tried to take out S.T.A.R Labs, we caught him by surprise but he got away."

"What do the labs here specialise in?" Robin was beginning to wish that he'd brought Cyborg along; science was his area of expertise. Briefly, he toyed with the idea of calling him, but quickly decided against it.

"Weaponry. The infectious kind." Beastboy yelped.  
"You're kidding me!" The doors opened before Crimson could give any form of answer, and, upon seeing who was behind the doors, his face fell into a mask of guilt.

"He's not kidding. You or anyone else." Phoenix could hide the disapproval from her voice, but not her eyes as she and Raven strode into the room. "C'mon, Red. Cortez said you needed bed rest." Crimson looked her in the eye and folded his arms as best he could; they looked stiff.

"I seem to remember him saying the same to you, Nix." His deep red eyes looked her up and down and then narrowed.  
"Although you're looking remarkably more healed than you were yesterday." Phoenix tried to gesture with her head for the hero to stop talking, but he ignored her. "Did Angel here heal you up?" Crimson shot a glance towards Raven. "Is _that_ why you two took so long to find me?"

"If Raven'd healed me, I doubt she would have left me with the swollen ankle." She found Robin's curious gaze and knew that behind the mask he was thinking back to any other time that she'd been injured, and trying to gauge her heal rate. "Put it down to genetics so we can get back on topic." Now the Boy Wonder was comparing her to her father and Raven was moving over to Crimson, placing a pale hand against his bound legs. The hand glowed blue and the empath wavered when she straightened.

Robin was fast, catching the cloaked girl's arm before she hit the ground. Phoenix was somehow faster, wrapping a bruised arm around her shoulders and keeping her from hitting the ground.

"Easy, Rae." Robin smiled as Crimson rocked forwards out of his chair, Starfire holding his arm, as he attempted to walk.  
"Dudes…" Beastboy called to them from the other side of the room. "Should this be here?" He held up a camera that had plainly just been torn out of the floor; the cable still hanging from the back and the red light blinking at them. Almost mockingly. Crimson shared a short glance with Phoenix before answering the green boy.

"No."

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Thank you for reading my nighttime ramblings :)


	3. III: Are You Sitting Comfortably?

Well, something I have learned from writing this chapter here is that Phoenix is developing a nasty habit of not doing as she's told and hijacking the story. Scene-stealer that she is I did the only thing I could...

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Crimson crossed the room on his healed legs, a little unsteady and with Starfire holding him securely by the elbow, but he was out of the wheelchair, something that brought a broad smile to his face despite the discovery of a camera in the room. Halfway to Beastboy and said camera he stopped to turn towards Phoenix who was helping Raven onto the semi-circle sofa. "You cleaned up?" The firebird shrugged, taking the seat beside the empath and shifting slightly when Robin joined them.

"Imago made a mess." She muttered. "You going to connect that or not?" Crimson rolled his bright red eyes as he took the device from the changeling and busied himself with the controls for the monitor that dominated the room.

Seconds later a man appeared on the large screen. He was masked, like Slade, only this man's mask was ice white with no design whatsoever. His clothes were also white. Phoenix gritted her teeth and the original Titans could only assume that the man was Imago Dei.

"Well, Titans, if it is indeed you watching, then you have survived our little soiree. Good." Imago's voice was unnaturally deep, lifted by undertones of mirth. "I assure you we will be meeting again soon, but first I believe you should know where you went wrong. It is the only way to learn after all." The image of the man flickered to a recording of Phoenix lying among the long grass that adorned the top of the cliff face that the tower was built into. She was asleep. Robin looked at the firebird curiously but her gaze was fixed firmly on the screen.  
"Friend Phoenix?" Starfire's voice was tentative as a white clad figure appeared beside the sleeping heroine. He cocked his head to the side and then the scene was gone, replaced by Imago's mask. This time though the backdrop was the very room that the Titans were sat in.

"You see, Titans? Your leader sleeps beneath the stars. Quaint, isn't it?" Phoenix's eyes narrowed and her fists clenched, drawing worried looks from the birds that flanked her. "With one of your own outside you never secure all of your entrances, do you? Even though she tells you to." The camera showed the door at the base of the tower swinging open. "No. You don't." The background of the video was flashing red and a siren was blaring. Phoenix and Crimson flinched as a blue haired girl ran in, her hands glowing a sickly yellow with power. Ike was right behind her and skidded to a halt inside the room just as a shard of what looked like shimmering glass embedded itself in the girl's chest.

"Turn it off." Raven's voice was soft but the command was undeniable, Crimson looked to Robin first, his hand hovering above the controls. "I said; turn it off." Flames were dancing across Phoenix's knuckles as Ike dropped to the floor, blood welling from the cut below his throat. On the screen Crimson bolted towards Imago, his staff raised, only to be punched away.  
"No. Imago wanted us to see this, we should watch it." Robin's masked eyes scanned the screen with a determinedly detached interest, intent to catch any clue that the villain had accidentally, or purposefully, left.

"Robin." Raven gave a concerned look to the pyromancer between them; fire was running along her arms now, flickering around her feet and licking at the bandage around her ankle. Finally the firebird herself made an appearance on the video, roaring with rage as she saw Crimson being beaten mercilessly. Imago's mask was cracked now and his white suit splashed with blood. The villain turned to face Phoenix, easily catching the fire laced fist that had been on target for his face. Twisting the limb roughly he drew a soft crack from the bone.  
Fire was all but swallowing the girl now and Raven laid a hand onto her friend's shoulder, turning away from the screen as she let them both be swallowed in the darkness of her own power.

The heroines were dropped from the jet black bird into the shallow water at the very base of the cliff, dousing the flames that had threatened to take over Phoenix. The firebird sputtered but Raven merely got to her feet and wandered towards the shore, wringing water from her cloak.

"Why'd you do that?" Phoenix asked, not moving from her position sat in the water, letting the small waves beat her already bruised ribs.

"You were losing control. That video wasn't helping anything." The firebird wouldn't meet her eyes as she tossed a football sized fireball towards the empath, increasing the heat until her clothes began to dry.

"Robin seemed to think it was useful." Raven rolled her eyes at that; Robin may have been the undisputed leader of all of the Teen Titans, but his attention to every little detail, useful or not, could be infuriating. Raven was one of many who knew that. Phoenix was usually one of the few that joined her in calling him on it.

"Robin thinks a lot of things. You know that." The fireball faded out of existence with just a twitch from the still dripping pyromancer. "Thanks."

"It's my fault Ayla's dead, Raven. I should've stayed inside. I should've checked the doors." Phoenix threw a punch at the water before burying her face in her hands. "I should've been quicker." Raven folded her arms, not saying a word. "He was right there. He could've killed me and he didn't. Why?"

"Maybe he didn't want to kill a sleeping opponent." The empath suggested. The man had been a mercenary at some point in his life, maybe a sense of honour among warriors had stopped him from killing a helpless foe

"He killed a thirteen year old girl, Raven. Did it look like he had any honour to you?" Anger was radiating from the pyromancer and Raven finally understood what it was that brought Phoenix and Robin together, as well as tearing them apart. Their tempers were too alike. And now that Phoenix had her own team to look after it appeared that she had inherited Robin's desperate sense of duty. "I should've woken up. He was _right there_!" Raven waved a hand, conjuring a black claw to lift the pyromancer from the water and dropped her unceremoniously onto the rocky shore.

"Well you didn't wake up and Imago killed Ayla. You weren't faster and you weren't better but you did everything you could. Stop dwelling on what you could've done and start thinking about how you're going to catch this guy." Raven helped the other heroine to her feet, noting immediately how the rage was slowly being replaced by a cold determination.  
"Thanks, Rae. I really needed that." The determination was laced with affection as Phoenix used the helping hand to pull the other girl into a hug. "Think Robin'll let you join my team?" Raven could tell it was a joke but she kept her voice perfectly deadpan as she replied:

"Never." Phoenix cursed softly as she pulled away, looking at the water that was now seeping back into Raven's uniform. She summoned another, smaller flame. "Here. We should get back inside."

/

For the second time in less than a half hour the pair of heroines wandered into the main room of the tower. The screen was blank now, something that Raven thanked the Heavens for, and the others were crowded around the table that stood in the centre of the crescent formed by the sofa. They turned in time to see the still damp pyromancer sit down heavily beside Robin. "What did you get?" The question came out easily as if there wasn't a scorch mark on the sofa in her old spot and as if Raven hadn't just teleported her away. Crimson looked to the empath but she simply smiled softly in response to his questioning gaze.

"Are you ok?" Robin laid a gloved hand onto one of hers, seemingly surprised when the water droplets from her skin seeped into his glove. "What happened?"  
"Raven took me to cool off." A hint of a sparkle was born in the depths of the deep blue eyes and she shared a glance with the other girl before refocusing on Robin. "Now, what did you get?" The Boy Wonder moved his hand back to his lap, masked eyes narrowed slightly.

"Imago wants you to meet him at S.T.A.R labs tomorrow." Phoenix looked from Robin to Beastboy and finally to Starfire and Crimson who was holding her hand with a contented smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

"You did see that video, right? There is no way we'll be able to fight him and win. Especially not there." Robin bowed his head and there was a sharp intake of breath from Raven's side of the sofa. "What?" The firebird looked between the darker birds quickly, immediately realising that she had missed something.

"Imago wants _you_ to meet him at S.T.A.R labs tomorrow. Alone." It was Raven who answered and she could just tell that there was something that the empath wasn't saying.  
"Or else?" Everyone in the room knew that as soon as the villain's full threat reached Phoenix's ears there would be no question about it. She would go and she would probably get herself killed. No one spoke. She got to her feet, snatching the remote for the screen from Beastboy's nervous hands and pressed the play button; a part of her knew that Robin would have isolated the clip of Imago's ultimatum for him to watch over and over again. Just like he did with Slade's. Imago's blank mask filled the screen and there was a manic, smug glint in the dark eyes. She thumbed the volume button until his voice filled the room.

"What do you say _Phoenix_? A rematch at the very place we first met. Just you and me; I bring no villains and you bring none of your hero friends. It'll be _fun_." She could hear the obvious glee in his deep voice and she clenched her fists. She didn't think she had ever hated anyone as much as she did this man. Behind her Raven and Robin shared concerned glances. "If this is too personal for you though, I could always visit your tower. But, of course, we both know how that ended for you last time. I do hope to see you on Friday." The screen faded to black and Phoenix turned, tossing the remote towards Beastboy.

"I need to go make some calls."

* * *

Yup, I sent the lovely well behaved Imago Dei on a rampage headed directly for her :)

Hm...wonder who she went to call...


	4. IV: A Family Affair

Ok...so who was the little - I mean the lovely Phoenix calling?

* * *

Once she had reached the corridor, out of earshot of the other Titans, with the possible exception of Raven, what with her demonic hearing, Phoenix flipped a small cell phone from her belt. Holding down the number one as she put it to her ear she didn't hear the door to the main room open, nor see Robin slip out into the corridor behind her. "Cydney?" The familiar dark voice filled her with a strange sense of warmth and she couldn't restrain the smile that pulled at her lips as she leant on the stone wall, her back still turned on Robin.

"I thought you were going to delete my number." The Boy Wonder stopped; he had been going to reach out to her, to offer her someone to talk to about Imago Dei, but now he was intrigued. There was a chuckle from the other girl.

"I never quite got round to it." Phoenix shifted to a more comfortable position. "Ok, Cyd. Spill. Is Joey ok?" The firebird sighed to herself. Behind her Robin frowned, his mind working at its fastest as it vied to figure out who the heroine was talking to.

"Joey's fine, Rose. But I need help; have you ever heard of a guy called Imago Dei?" She marked a beat. "He used to be a mercenary, could've been a friend of Dad's."  
"Nope, never heard of him. Why?"

"Because I'm supposed to fight him tomorrow. Only he's beaten me before; I'm only talking to you because Dad can heal so well. Where are you anyway?" The girl on the other end of the phone was silent but Phoenix was sure she could hear movement. "Rose?"

"You're in Sol City right?" She hummed an affirmative, narrowing her eyes in curiosity. "I'll be there by morning, Cyd. Love you." Phoenix opened her mouth to answer but was greeted by the dial tone.

"Yeah, love you too." She flipped the phone closed again and clipped it back onto her belt beside her communicator. "Some things never change." She shook her head, still smiling as she turned but as soon as her eyes lit upon Robin the smile faded. "Were you eavesdropping on me?" Her counterpart shifted slightly until he finally settled upon crossing his arms across his chest in a defensive motion.

"Who's Rose?" If Phoenix didn't know better, or if it had been anyone but Robin, she would have sworn that she could hear a touch of jealousy in his voice. She gave a crooked grin and stepped past him, opening the automatic door to the main room with a wave of her hand.

"You'll see, Wonder Boy. You'll see." She entered the room fully then, leaving Robin alone in the corridor, still trying to figure out who his ex-girlfriend could be talking about. Had he been in his own Tower he could have checked his databases for anyone named Rose connected to Phoenix. Here he could do nothing but wait.

"Robin'll see what?" Beastboy bounded over to her, emboldened by the smile ofn the girl's face to resume his usual antics. "You can tell me." She looked over the green boy's shoulder towards the window; the sun was setting. Suddenly she felt weary. Most of her wounds may have healed but almost every inch of her body ached.

"I'm afraid we never really set up any guest rooms." Across the room Crimson hopped to his feet, still holding Starfire's hand in his with their fingers laced together.  
"Star can stay with me." Phoenix quirked an eyebrow and the red-eyed boy blushed.

"If anyone's got a right to sleep with someone it's me; I'm the one who's got to fight Imago tomorrow." Crimson's blush deepened but Starfire's green eyes twinkled innocently. Phoenix waved them on with a smile. "See you in the morning, Red." She looked back to Beastboy who was bouncing on the balls of his feet, obviously nowhere near ready to sleep. "B? Feel free to raid the kitchen; video games are under the TV console. You can have Ike's room which is the first door on the left after you go upstairs."

"Sweet." The changeling made a dash for the kitchen and had his head buried in the fridge before Phoenix could even tell him that there was tofu.

"Rae, you can have my room; two floors up, third door on the right."  
"Where are you and Robin sleeping?" There was a devilish glint in the empath's eye that made the firebird shake her head.

"Robin's got the other bunk in Ike's room. I'm camping out in the infirmary." The Boy Wonder coughed pointedly from behind her.  
"I'm not sleeping with Beastboy." Phoenix and Raven shared a short glance filled with silent mirth. "And you won't get any sleep in the infirmary, you know that. You may as well take Beastboy's bunk." The empath could feel Phoenix's unease and decided to take pity on her.

"It's fine; I can share." The firebird smiled her thanks; knowing it was pointless to argue, but Robin frowned; he'd been planning on finding out who Rose was when they were alone.  
"I'm going to call it a night, Rob, see you in the morning. You coming, Rae?" Raven grinned and faded into blackness, enveloping her friend in the dark magic and flying through the ceiling to the corridor above before stopping outside of the door marked 'Phoenix'. "Take that as a yes." The pyromancer quipped as she opened the door, holding it for the other girl to pass.  
The walls of the room were a deep shade of red, as was the carpet, and lined with shelves that were littered with books and various trinkets. The ceiling was painted midnight blue with white stars and a crescent moon stencilled on it. Phoenix saw Raven looking and smiled. "I figured it might help me sleep indoors."

"Did it work?" The empath asked watching her friend wander towards the wooden chest of drawers that stood at the foot of her bed, drawing out an oversized grey and green striped t-shirt and a pair of shorts.

"Not really. You want something to sleep in?" Raven hadn't even decided on an answer before a purple shirt was flying her way, an identical pair of shorts right behind it. "I've got your colour."

"Thanks, Nix." Phoenix shrugged.  
"Bathroom's through that door."  
Raven changed quickly and returned to the bedroom to find Phoenix already changed and curled up on the floor. She shook her head.  
"Get in the bed, Phoenix. It's more than big enough, and I don't bite." The firebird opened one eye to watch Raven slip into the red sheeted bed.  
"Unless I want you to?" Slowly she got to her feet and joined her friend.  
"What did you say?" Phoenix blushed and buried her face into the quilt.  
"Nothing, Rae. Go to sleep."

/

Phoenix woke up the next morning with her face buried in Raven's shoulder and one arm slung comfortably across the empath's waist. She didn't know what had woken her but she did know that Raven was stirring too so she scooted back to the side of the bed she'd fallen asleep on before the empath could register their closeness. "Your phone's ringing." The other girl muttered, sitting up to pass her the device. Sure enough the screen was shining blue and Rose's name blinked on the screen. She flicked it open.

"I'm at your door, where are you?" Phoenix cast a glance to the clock and saw that it was nearly nine o'clock in the morning. She'd never slept that late, or that well. Especially not in a bed.

"I'm in bed…give me a second; I'll be right there." This time Phoenix hung up before Rose could and turned to Raven. "Don't suppose you could give me a lift to the door before she breaks it in could you?" The empath rolled her eyes, laying a hand onto the firebird's shoulder as they dissolved into the, now familiar, cool black of her power, reappearing in front of the door just as a loud knock rang out. Phoenix opened the door and was immediately pulled into a hug.

Rose was a tall young woman with long white hair that completely covered one eye, but the eye that Raven could see was piercing blue. There was a dark blue bag at her feet.  
"Not like you to sleep late, Cyd." The single blue eye skated across Raven's form as she pulled out of the hug. "But I think I can see why you didn't want to get up." Phoenix flushed a dark pink and nudged the newcomer none too gently with her elbow. Raven merely quirked an eyebrow.

"Raven, this is Rose Wilson."  
"I'm Robin." The Boy Wonder's voice came from behind the girl's and they whirled around to see the masked boy already in his uniform, looking wide awake. Both Phoenix and Raven were suddenly very aware that they weren't dressed.

"Why call me in, Cyd? You got a few heroes here." Phoenix shrugged.

"Imago specifically told me not to take heroes as back up." A grin cracked across Rose's face and she began to nod, picking up her bag and stepping fully into the tower.  
"So you called in a villain. Smart girl." Rose wrapped an arm around the firebird's shoulders and pulled her close, planting a kiss onto her forehead. Both Raven and Robin narrowed their eyes at the interaction. "What? I'm not allowed to kiss my sister anymore?"

"How many kids does Slade have?" Robin muttered darkly, not expecting an answer.

"Four. We have two brothers; Grant and Joey." Rose gave him one anyway, her arm still wrapped around her sister's shoulders. "So, Cyd, when are you meeting this guy?"  
"As soon as he trips the security I'd imagine." The pyromancer laid her head onto her half-sister's shoulder. "I'm glad you're here, Rose."

"You'd do the same for me, hero. Your girlfriend coming along for the ride?" Robin's left eye twitched slightly as he shared a glance with the empath who simply shrugged.  
"Robin wants to set up shop in security's office." A loud whine screeched through the Tower, ensuring that any Titans still asleep were now, most definitely, awake. The noise was accompanied by a red light that flashed insistently, demanding their attention. "You should go ahead Rob; evacuate the building and such." Phoenix stepped away from Rose, suddenly noticing that her hands were shaking.

"I'll fetch Beastboy. Crimson and Star are staying here to take care of Ike; Matt says you worry too much as it is. We don't want Imago doubling back on us either." The masked teenager stepped closer to Phoenix took one of her hands into his. "Be careful, Cyd." The firebird gave a half-hearted smile and a mock salute.

"I'm always careful."

* * *

Well that's two out of four of Slade's kids and Ravager is being your typical sister. Oh the joys :)


	5. V: Sisters in Arms

And here's that fight scene I owe you. Two chapters in one day; I feel accomplished :)

* * *

When Phoenix and Rose, now dressed in her Ravager uniform, finally entered the ground floor of S.T.A.R labs it was deserted. Papers were strewn across the floor and the spacious entrance hall echoed their footsteps back to them. The white walls meant that Imago Dei would be perfectly camouflaged, but both girls, in their dark uniforms, would be plainly visible. "Out of interest, why didn't you call Dad?" Ravager muttered, knowing that Slade would have been invaluable in their situation. Also knowing that after an enemy slit Joey's throat, leaving him mute, and Grant's death while working for the H.I.V.E, Slade would have come running at a call from either of his daughters.

"Robin's been trying to catch him for years; I don't want to hand him our father on a platter." Ravager nodded, understanding easily. She'd been living in Gotham City since leaving home and there'd been many times that she had needed backup, but instead of calling her father she'd had to call in favours from the other villains in the city for fear of Batman finally laying his hands on Slade 'Deathstroke' Wilson. She'd struck up an easy friendship with one Poison Ivy and, by extension, Harley Quinn, which reminded her…

"So, the purple girl…"

"Raven?" They had passed out of the entrance hall now and were climbing the stairs towards the corridors that held the labs, towards the part of the building that Titans North had caught Imago in the first time they'd met.

"Yes. Raven." Ravager marked a beat as they turned a corner. "She's kind of cute." Phoenix stopped walking and looked her sister in her masked blue eye; the other had been torn out by Ravager herself years ago in a fit of insanity and a desperate need to prove herself to their father.

"She's not my girlfriend, Ravager." There was a strict protocol of sticking to code names when working among the Titans, something she intended to stick to, even for her sister.  
"Sure, that's why she sleeps in your clothes. And, I'm assuming, she was your bed-mate last night." Phoenix rolled her eyes and started to walk again.  
"We have a room shortage at the - is now really the best time?" Ravager smirked.

"Fine, I'll speak to Raven when we get out of here." The pyromancer raised a hand to silence her sister; there was a hissing in her ear as the earpiece Robin gave her flickered into life.  
"Nix? Imago's in Dr. Garcia's office, next to lab 14. Where are you?" Phoenix looked to the door to her left as she past it.

"Lab 14. We're going in." She pushed the door marked as Dr. Garcia's office as soon as she reached it, letting it swing open. Imago Dei was sat in the high-backed chair behind the desk, flipping a straight razor through his fingers. A soft _snick_ sounded behind her as Ravager unsheathed the sword strapped to her back.

"Phoenix." The white clad villain stood, his blade not losing its momentum even a touch. "I thought I asked you to leave your hero friends at home." Ravager tweaked her two-tone orange and black half-mask, a smirk tugging at her lips.

"I'm no hero, and she's my sister." Imago tossed his razor from hand to hand and Phoenix simply could not see how he didn't cut his hands open; his gloves couldn't be strong enough to resist the razor sharp blade.

"A loophole in my instructions, I applaud you." He strode around the desk with a predatory grace, still flipping the straight razor. "Well now. Shall we begin? I have a lunch date with a beautiful redhead by the name of Koriand'r after we're done and I don't want to be too long." Flames began to smoulder around Phoenix's fists; she couldn't remember clenching them, just as she couldn't hear Robin's voice in her ear telling her to stay calm. Imago drew his hand back slowly only to whip it forwards a second later, letting the straight razor cut through the air and embed itself in the wall behind the firebird, leaving a deep but paper thin cut on her cheek. He'd missed deliberately and both girls knew it.

Ravager reacted first, moving forwards fluidly, her sword an extension of her arm as she brought it swung it towards the other villain's ribcage. Imago batted the blade aside, placing his palm against the flat of the blade. Ravager followed the blade to the side and had only just begun swinging it in a wide arc when Phoenix leapt into the fray, her fists positively aglow with flames and flying towards his throat. This time Imago didn't even bother blocking either of the deadly attacks; he simply jumped above them, latching onto the light fixture above his head and swinging towards the door. Phoenix extinguished her fists milliseconds before her left made contact with the wall beside Ravager's head. The sword narrowly missed the firebird's right arm. Imago chuckled.

"Now, now, girls. You'll have to be quicker than that." The smugness in his voice set a bold underline to the part of Phoenix's head that was sure the villain was laughing at them from behind his mask. A flick of her hand sent a small fireball spiralling his way but a shimmering wall of energy flickered to life and the fireball burst into tiny cinders. Imago pulled his straight razor from the wall and opened the door with his other hand.

/

In the labs security office Robin narrowed his eyes at the screen that showed Dr Garcia's office. Imago Dei had made his escape into the corridor and was now happily leading Phoenix and Ravager on a wild chase through the building. He didn't want to think about what would happen when the villain finally stopped running; both girls would be tired and in a building that was full of biological weaponry they didn't have time to be tired. He switched his eyes to another screen in time to see a ball of flame narrowly miss Imago's head. Phoenix was going for kill shots he realised slowly. There was no way that the firebird was going to be satisfied with sending the man to jail. "Every time she fires at him she gets closer to hitting him." Raven murmured softly. The empath had been leaning over his shoulder since the battle started, keeping a tight grip on the back of his chair which betrayed her worry for the pair on the screens.

"Nix'll be fine." Beastboy was confident even though he was only looking at the screens every few seconds from his seat beside the birds. "Remember the time with the fire demons?" His companions remembered that battle clearly, even though Raven hadn't taken part, she had watched through a portal from her father's claws as her friends had been forced to fight various demons to rescue her. Phoenix had held off a tunnel of them, seemingly being killed in the effort. It was an experience that neither of the birds wanted to relive.

"We remember." Robin muttered, returning his gaze to the screen to his left where Imago had stopped at a corner, receiving a bruising blow from the flat of Ravager's sword across his leg. Phoenix rounded the corner just behind the others and a bird of pure flame sprang from her fingertips, careening towards the villain and leaving a smouldering trail wherever its wings touched his uniform. "Is that…" He magnified the image, his heartbeat increasing rapidly when he saw the sign on the door that Imago had just been thrown through. 'Biohazard'.  
"Azar." A red light flashed throughout the entire facility along with a voice that told them in no uncertain terms that there had been a breach in the lab's security and something that was definitely lethal had escaped into the air. In just under two minutes the whole building would be purged. In other words it would explode, reaching temperatures in their thousandth degrees to destroy whatever virus had been released. Robin put an urgent hand to his ear.

"Phoenix get out of there. Now!" Beastboy jumped to his feet, startled as the door beside him locked itself. The earpiece hissed before he was answered.

"Get Raven to teleport you guys out. We're locked in but we'll be fine." The pyromancer sounded ridiculously calm considering she was going to die, one way or another. The clock showed a single minute was left and Robin briefly considered sending Raven into the lab that held Imago, Phoenix and Ravager to fetch them but he knew exactly what Phoenix would say; it wasn't worth the risk to Raven's life.

"Nix…"  
"Robin." She cut him off in the stern tone that always convinced him that he had made the right choice in making her the leader of Titans North instead of Crimson who had been a very close second choice. "Go." Finally he nodded towards Raven who he was sure had tears in her eyes when she enveloped the Boy Wonder and the changeling in her dark magic. The coolness of the magic, usually reassuring, was just cold to him now. Colder still when he was thrown unceremoniously onto the pavement outside of S.T.A.R labs in time to see it implode with a flash of bright white light and a wave of unbearable heat, even though they were more than a hundred feet away.

There was nothing but static on his earpiece now.

* * *

Ok, I swear, I did not mean to do that. Blowing the place up was not on my list of things to do when I started this...it just happened...I think Imago made me do it...


	6. VI: Smouldering Remains

Robin adjusted his mask carefully and coughed to shift the lump that was rising in his throat. He watched the last of the light and dust fade from the remains of S.T.A.R Labs, leaving a smouldering shell behind. The windows had been blown through and anything inside had been incinerated but the walls were still standing. "It's over then." He murmured, unable to turn his eyes away. Three people had died in there; one murderer and someone he barely knew, but Phoenix had been in there too. "We should head back to the Tower." His voice was devoid of emotion, drawing the green gaze of Beastboy.

The changeling's ears had drooped and he was watching his leader from his position on the cold pavement where the blast had flung him. He had been the closest to the building when it had been purged and he had felt the intense heat even at such a distance.

"We're not even going to check?" Beastboy knew that checking would be pointless; they were all gone but they had thought that of Phoenix before and she'd managed to survive. Who was to say that that wouldn't hold true this time?

"No one could've survived that, Beastboy." Robin finally turned his back on the building, turning towards the empath behind him. She had been perfectly silent since the blast and he swore that there were tears slipping down the cheeks that were shadowed by her hood. "Rae?"

"Yeah, no one." Raven blinked but didn't look away from the S.T.A.R Labs, or what remained of it, as if she were half expecting Phoenix and Ravager to walk out of the wreckage with Imago Dei handcuffed between them. He could feel the half-formed hope through their bond, just as he knew she could feel his sorrow. Purple eyes flickered white for a split second before locking onto Robin. "We should get back to the Tower; if this was a kamikaze run I don't think Imago would have risked only taking one Titan with him."

"Ok." That was Raven; always thinking about what could happen next. What had already happened could wait until there was nothing else to worry about. She could grieve when it was over.

The trio of original Titans disappeared into Raven's power, the cool magic soothing the skin that had been heated by the purging facility. By the time they materialised in the main room of the Tower they were shivering, from either shock or the sudden iciness of Raven's magic, no one knew.

"Where's Nix?" Crimson's voice called to them from the control panel. It appeared that the young man had tapped into the CCTV around the facility; the screen showed what was left of it. Robin shook his head. "You left her behind?"

"No one could've survived that, Crimson." The boys stared at each other, mouths set into thin lines.

"You still left her there. You didn't even check to make sure. You just left." The red-clad teenager got to his feet, beginning to raise his voice as tears ran from his eyes. "You were supposed to love her, you're supposed to care!"

"We do care, Crimson. There was nothing we could've done." Crimson pushed Robin roughly in the chest.

"Dude. It's not his fault." Beastboy caught Robin easily and set him back on his feet. "It was Imago; he's the one who lured them towards the biohazards. I think he meant to take the fight in there."

"Of course he did. He gets his kicks out of killing people. That doesn't change the fact that you left Phoenix in there." Raven was looking past the arguing boys to the screen behind them. The building was a mere shell of its former self but there was a figure standing in the doorway.

"Robin." Her voice was soft as she watched the figure stumble out of the building and look directly at the camera. It was as if he could sense Raven's gaze. A smile broke across the scarred face and it was then that Raven realised that the man was completely naked and averted her eyes. Instead she looked at her leader. "Robin." When he failed to answer her again she landed a sharp slap to the back of his head.

"_What_?" He whirled on her but instead of quailing under his anger as many would, she quirked a bemused eyebrow and pointed silently to the screen. "That's not possible." He muttered all thoughts of his argument with Crimson fleeing his mind as he moved to stand by the console, freezing the image of the bare skinned man on the screen.

"Is that Imago?" Crimson had joined the leader, leaning across the other boy to tap at the keyboard. Another image of the villain appeared alongside the CCTV feed and after a few more seconds they had confirmed what Raven already knew. "How could he have survived that?"

"Maybe the room was implosion proof." Beastboy suggested, the beginnings of hope twinkling in the depths of his emerald eyes. If Imago had survived then maybe Phoenix and Ravager had too.

"No." Raven muttered; it wasn't possible that the room full of biological weaponry would be immune to the purging process. It would defeat the whole point of destroying the building in the first place. "That's not it." Crimson drew his staff from his belt and twirled it through his fingers.

"I think I should go and check if the girls survived, after all. I can pick Imago up while I'm there." He said as he sent a pointed look Robin's way. While they usually got on, it hadn't taken long for Raven to notice that Phoenix was a friction point between the boys; Crimson might as well have been one of the firebird's brothers. And with Robin as the heroine's boyfriend there was always going to be a point where the boys didn't get along.

"Crimson." Robin's voice was a warning but Raven's eyes had drifted behind them again to look at the screen. The man they believed to be Imago Dei was shuffling away but after every step his gait seemed stronger and surer. He seemed to be recovering. Just as he reached the outer frame he turned back to the camera and shot out an arm in their direction. A shimmering patch of what looked like glass flew from his fingertips and then the picture went black.

"I don't think that's a good idea." Raven reached out with her power to rewind the video to a second before Imago's power hit. "He doesn't seem too injured considering what he's just been through." Crimson put his staff away silently.

"He's coming here." It was Beastboy who spoke next and his voice was soft, lacking all of its usual emotion. "Remember what he said about Starfire?" Both Robin and Crimson twitched a little at the mention of the redheaded alien. "I think she's supposed to be next." Raven wasn't sure when the green boy had grown up so much and she had no idea how she'd missed it but now she felt a sudden urge to hug him for being a voice of reason.  
"We need to be ready."

"You need to be quicker than that boys and girl." A sinister voice chuckled from the doorway. The quartet whirled around to see Imago Dei, in full uniform, holding Starfire to his chest and his straight razor to her throat. Dread and horror radiated from everyone, sending Raven's head swimming. "You'd think it would be harder to fake that wouldn't you?" He nodded his masked head towards the screen almost nonchalantly.

"Let her go." Robin nominated himself spokesman and gave the order easily.

"I've killed twice today, Mr Grayson. I only have five left, so why would I give up now? I only wish that dear Deathstroke's daughters had gone down fighting." Robin's gloved hands clenched into fists.

"What do you want?" Imago snickered, letting the blade in his hand break the skin of Starfire's throat. The alien yelped, her eyes flickering bright green only milliseconds before the starbolt left her hand in favour of Imago's chest.

The villain screamed as the ball of light made contact and involuntarily released Starfire. She flew to stand beside her teammates as Imago straightened again with only a scorch mark on his shirt to mark his injury.

"I want nothing more than to kill you all."

* * *

Yeah, more of a filler chapter than anything and Imago knows Slade. Who knew? I wonder where Phoenix and Ravager have gotten to? They were supposed to be back by now...


	7. VII: A Lesson in Improbability

Sorry for the delay but a certain character was being all secretive and disobedient.

* * *

"I want nothing more than to kill you all." Robin threw a birdarang in a single, graceful movement and watched the projectile speed towards the villain.

Imago Dei sidestepped neatly and let it pass by in a blur of red and yellow. Robin gritted his teeth and, out of the corner of his eye saw the rest of his team step into line beside him. Each of them fell into their respective fighting stances and waited silently for his command.

They'd all seen what Imago could do but he had killed two of their own now and they were past caring about plans. Robin returned his gaze to the masked villain in time to see a razor sharp blade of light flicker into being.

"Titans, go!" Imago laughed behind his mask as the Boy Wonder lead the charge, Bo staff raised and easily parried the hero's first swing. He pushed the boy aside with his free hand and was met with a forest green lion.

Beastboy knocked the white clad man from his feet, slashing at his chest until Imago lashed out with his feet. The beast roared as the blow connected with his ribcage, tossing him across the room where he collided with the console. Sparks flew from the machinery as it crumbled around the lion and, as his form changed back to normal, electricity coursed through his body. The green boy slumped to the floor and lay still.

Crimson swiped at Imago's legs while Starfire rained down starbolts from the ceiling. The villain took the blows to his shins and ankles and used a shield of light to block the alien's attacks.

Robin leapt from a disc of dark magic provided by Raven with a short war cry. He connected two birdarangs to form a red bladed sword and brought it down onto Imago's head, forcing the man to his knees. Crimson stayed his staff and Starfire stopped throwing starbolts to hover overhead.

"You're not killing anyone else." Robin said, levelling his sword against the hollow of Imago's throat holding the blade steady.

"I beg to differ, Mr Grayson." The use of his birth name threw the boy hero for a split second. That split second was long enough for Imago to bat the blade from his hands and thrust his own blade of light into Robin's chest.

"Robin!" Starfire screamed, dropping to the floor and smashing a glowing fist into Imago's face. The villain flew backwards, and was met with a solid black claw that tossed him back towards the alien. Crimson brought his staff down onto his head, Imago hit the floor.

A beat of silence passed, long enough for Raven to move to kneel at Robin's side, her hands already glowing blue, then Imago pushed himself back to his feet.

He cast a hand behind him, sending a shard of glittering light flying towards Raven. The empath turned at Starfire's scream but the shard was too close for her to stop it and it embedded itself into her stomach before blinking out of existence. Raven slumped to the floor, gasping and bleeding.

Imago turned back to Starfire and Crimson, his eyes glimmering behind his mask.

"The boy next, I think." Another shard of light flew from the villain's fingertips towards the red-clad hero. Before Crimson could throw himself out of its path a bird made entirely of orange flame wheeled in front of him and took the shard in the chest. Both manifestations of power disappeared.

"No." Crimson looked over Imago's shoulder at the familiar voice to see Phoenix stood in the doorway, Ravager at her side. "You're next." Both girls had shiny burns on their faces and arms but somehow they had survived the explosion at S.T.A.R Labs looking only a little worse for wear.

Phoenix cast a short glance around the room at the Titans who had already fallen and felt a thrill of anger. She levelled her blue gaze onto Imago Dei who had frozen in place, waiting for her to make a move.  
"Titans." Fire burst to life across her entire body and fiery swords appeared in her hands. Crimson tightened his grip on his staff and Ravager raised her own sword higher. Starfire's fists and eyes glowed a brilliant green. "Go."  
All four Titans dove for Imago at the same moment, ensuring that, this time, there was no way for him to dodge every blow aimed his way. He slipped through Ravager's sweeping strike only to be hit square in the chest by a starbolt. He stumbled and Crimson's staff hit the backs of his knees, forcing him to kneel.

Phoenix drew a circle in flames around the villain with her blades and motioned for everyone to step back, leaving Imago to catch his breath. As soon as he had recovered he started to stand and the flames stood with him. The firebird waved a hand and the fire swallowed him in a dome of orange.

"You killed him?" Ravager sheathed her sword, her single blue eye shocked as it focused on her sister. Phoenix folded her arms and shared a glance with Crimson.

"I wish." Starfire landed beside them.

"Then what did you do, friend?" The pyromancer waved a finger and the fire died, leaving Imago Dei lying in the centre of a scorch mark on the floor, unconscious.

"Hollow dome, the fire used up all his air. He passed out." Crimson smiled and clapped her on the shoulder

"I'll cuff him and take him to SCPD."  
"No. Take him downstairs and put him in our holding cell. I want a word with him and I think Robin might too." He snapped into a salute, knowing better than to question her. "Are you hurt at all?"  
"No, I'm good. Nix, what's wrong?" She looked over his shoulder to where Raven was attempting to sit up, still trying to staunch the sluggish flow of blood from her stomach. She brushed past her partner and waved for Ravager to follow her.

"Good. Stay with Imago, make sure he stays put." The firebird knelt beside the empath, careful of the blood. "Are you ok?"  
"I've been stabbed in the stomach, Phoenix." Raven's deadpan was intact and Phoenix offered a hand to help her to her feet.

"You're fine." She smiled. Robin's wound had already begun to heal over thanks to Raven's power. "Rose, could you get Robin for me? Star, bring Beastboy. We'll take them to the infirmary." The alien floated off obligingly and pulled the changeling gently into her arms.

"You're supposed to be dead." Raven grumbled as Phoenix wrapped a thin arm around her waist to keep her steady.

"I'll explain later, Rae." Ravager picked Robin up gingerly, careful not to jar his partially healed wound and led the procession out of the room.

/

Green eyes flickered open and a groan fell from the boy's lips. Both Phoenix and Ravager joined Starfire at Beastboy's bedside, grins plastered across their features. Robin had woken up long ago and had joined Raven in her pleas to be let out of the infirmary but the leader of Titans North had refused them at every turn. The darker birds had quieted after a few minutes and there had been nothing but silence until Starfire's cry and Beastboy's groan.

"Hey, Grass stain." Phoenix grinned casting a practiced gaze at the machines that the changeling was hooked up to. "Had us worried for a while there."

"What happened?"  
"You had a bit of a shock." Ravager's blue eye glinted, drawing a soft laugh from the boy in the bed.

"Imago threw you into the console." Phoenix elaborated a little but was cut off by a happy squeal from Starfire as the alien wrapped her arms loosely around her teammate.

"I'm glad you are well, friend Beastboy." The green boy hugged the alien back loosely and Ravager turned to her sister.

"I see what Ivy means; you heroes do have a nasty habit of surviving." Phoenix punched Ravager's arm lightly.

"Ha ha." She cast a glance over her shoulder, and then swore; both Robin and Raven had disappeared. "Rose. Go fetch Robin for me please; he should be headed to the holding bay. It's on the bottom floor." The firebird walked away without waiting for an answer.

"Where are you going?" Phoenix raised a hand at Ravager's shout but kept walking until she had passed into the elevator at the end of the corridor.  
Everyone knew that when Raven was hurt she retreated to her room to meditate in order to heal herself quicker and since she didn't have a room in this tower she could only have gone to Phoenix's quarters.  
In minutes she was stood outside of her own door, debating whether to knock or not. She sighed, and deciding that she really shouldn't have to knock to enter her own bedroom, pushed the door open to see Raven sat cross legged in the centre of her bed.

"Wondered when you'd actually come in." The empath's lips quirked into a small smile and she opened her eyes. Phoenix couldn't help but notice the tear in her friend's uniform and the matching break in the grey flesh beneath.

"I thought you were healing." The firebird frowned, stepping further inside and closing the door behind her. "What's wrong?"  
"Nothing." The empath tried to force reassurance into her smile but Phoenix didn't believe it so she changed tack. "How'd you get out of the facility anyway?" She knew she was being railroaded into a new topic but Slade's daughter let it pass by.

"We were on the bottom floor. I remembered Crimson telling me that the floor has to be radiation proof so nothing gets into the earth and contaminates the area. We pulled up the floor and hid till it passed. Pure dumb luck really." She shrugged. Raven sought her gaze and smiled again.

"I'm glad you're ok."

"Yeah, me too. Now what's with the not healing." The half-demon sighed and looked away.

"I used up too much energy in the past few days. I need to rest before I have enough to heal myself." Phoenix took a seat on the bed narrowing her eyes as she thought.

"You can take energy from other people right?" Raven blinked incredulously. "What? I read too, you know."  
"It's not that. What are you talking about?" Phoenix picked up one of Raven's hands carefully.

"Take some of my energy; I've got loads." The purple haired girl shook her head but didn't take back her hand.

"You don't understand; you'd lose some of your life force."  
"So?" When her friend opened her mouth argue again she rolled her eyes, sitting fully on the bed opposite Raven and took hold of the other hand too. "Shut up and take whatever energy you need." Raven smiled softly and closed her eyes.

"Thank you."  
"Anytime."

* * *

Yes, I did mean Phoenix back there at the top of the page. For a hero she's a real deviant.


	8. VIII: Waiting for the Dust to Settle

You know, I'd have had this chapter up a week ago but a certain website wouldn't let me update . Ah well, it's here now, eh?

* * *

Phoenix sauntered towards the one interrogation room that her tower offered some time later. She had left Raven sleeping soundly in her room and, satisfied that the empath was completely healed, had resolved to seek out Robin.

She found her sister first, leaning against the wall beside the door that led to her interrogation room.

"Girlfriend ok?" Dark blue eyes rolled and Phoenix sighed before locking her gaze back onto the single, ice blue eye.

"Raven isn't my girlfriend, Rose. But yes, she's fine." She could tell that no matter how many times she reiterated herself her sister would never believe her. Not after the morning they had met, at any rate. She changed the subject. "Is Robin in there?" Ravager nodded.

"He refused to go back to the infirmary. Wouldn't even come out and wait for you. Robin is not a happy birdie." Phoenix looked around; expecting to see Crimson standing somewhere nearby but the corridor was empty except for Slade's daughters. "I sent your boy back upstairs; no point both of us standing around out here."  
"Thanks." Phoenix smiled and took a deep breath, looking at the door to the interrogation room. In the room beyond was the man who had killed Ayla and tried to kill her closest friends. He had come so close and Phoenix wasn't entirely sure that she could be in the same room as him. But she couldn't leave Robin alone in there either, so she reached out and laid her hand on the door handle.

"You going in?" Her sister already knew the answer of course, she was really asking if Phoenix wanted her to go with her. They had similar tempers and the older girl knew how she would react in the younger's place; she would kill him. And she would enjoy it.

"Yeah, could you wait out here for me? If you hear yelling…"  
"I'll come and help out. I got your back, Cyd." Phoenix grinned, turning the handle and pushing it open. Ravager didn't need an answer so she slipped inside, closing the door behind her.

Inside, Robin was leaning on the table, hands extended before him with his masked eyes narrowed at the criminal in the chair opposite. She saw that Crimson had removed the man's white mask and beneath it Imago Dei looked strangely average. She wouldn't have batted an eyelid if they'd passed on the street or if he had asked for her team's assistance and that made the sight of him frightening. Imago could've been anyone at all. With his dirty blonde hair and pale blue eyes, even the light freckles across his nose; he was invisible among the other citizens of Sol City.

"You're supposed to be in the infirmary." The firebird muttered. Robin started and straightened but it was painfully obvious that his chest hurt him. It was unsurprising really; he had been stabbed there and Raven had only had chance to heal the main damage. He should be resting until he was strong enough to return to his duties. Not that he would ever listen to this.

"You're supposed to be dead." The counter didn't come from Robin, it came from Imago but both heroes ignored him, each choosing instead to keep trying to stare the other down. "Tell me, Phoenix. How did you survive?" Robin blinked finally and cast a short glance to Imago.

"He wouldn't speak to me. I tried everything but not a word. You walk in and suddenly he wants to talk." He was half amused and half disappointed. She smiled a crooked smile and looked at the average man who was sat at her interrogation table, his hands cuffed to the arms of his chair. She didn't need to look to know that his ankles were similarly bound.

"A magician never reveals her secrets." The quip, borrowed from Raven, tripped easily from her tongue, garnering a smile from Robin's lips.

"Your father would be proud of you, I think. For surviving. Maybe I should call him when I leave your company." The Boy Wonder glowered.

"What makes you think you're going to be leaving?" The blue eyes glittered smugly and their owner leant back in his chair, somehow managing to look comfortable despite his restraints.

"What makes you think that you can keep me here?" There was something so like genuine curiosity in the villain's voice that Phoenix was suddenly stricken with a need to keep the bottom floor completely locked down, and at least two Titans outside the interrogation room at all times. "Either I will escape here or I will escape from our illustrious policing system. Either way I believe that I will be speaking with dear Deathstroke soon enough." Robin slapped a gloved hand onto the table and Phoenix started as the sound jolted her from her thoughts of fortification.

"You won't escape. Even if I have to escort you myself, I will see you in a jail cell." Imago laughed coldly, his pale eyes fixed on the silent firebird.

"You know what your father would have you do." She did. Slade would have Imago killed in a simple act of vengeance. She couldn't deny that her fingers itched to feel the searing flames that would wipe away the villain before her. Not to herself at any rate. "After all, this isn't the first time that his children have felt my blade." One of Phoenix's hands rose to touch the deep cut along her cheek, the only wound she had that hadn't yet healed, and she remembered the deadly gleam of Imago Dei's straight razor.

"You." She remembered the gleam of that same straight razor, years before resting against the hollow of a young blonde boy's throat. "It was _you_." Her fists clenched at her sides and fire flickered to life, forming gauntlets around her wrists.

"Nix, relax." Robin placed a gloved hand on her shoulder. She shook him off, glowering at the seated villain until her ex-lover forced her away, one hand on either side of her face to ensure that she was looking at him. "Calm down and tell me what's going on."  
"He's the one who tried to kill Joey; our baby brother. He put a blade to his throat and left him mute." Robin could understand the anger that was rolling off of the pyromancer in waves, he really could, but he couldn't let her kill Imago. He knew she would come to regret it in time. He tightened his grip when she struggled slightly. "Let me go."

Imago chuckled as he watched the heroes fight each other. When he had heard that one of Deathstroke's daughters had turned to heroism he had been surprised. He had somehow known it would be the younger without being told; he had seen the anger in her eyes as he had held the youngest child to him. And he had felt the heat of the flames that had killed the rest of his crew when he had slit the boy's throat in front of her. Cydney had never had much control of her emotions and what better way for a hero to fall from grace than to kill a criminal who was bound and helpless? What better way for him to disappear than for him to 'die'?

Phoenix pushed Robin's arms off of her, forcing him back until he was leant against the wall. Then she turned to lean on the table, flames forming a deadly halo around her body.

"What's the matter, Cydney? You always used to be such a Daddy's girl." He enjoyed the conflict in her dark eyes. Justice and Vengeance fighting for control. Robin and Slade both vying for her loyalty. She reached out across the table and wrapped a flame swaddled hand around the ordinary man's neck. "That's better." He crooned to her, encouraging the soft growl rumbling in her chest. Robin was trying to brave the flames but they were too hot for him to even get close to laying a restraining hand on the girl. Imago smiled.

"Phoenix stop." The husky monotone registered in the pyromancer's head as Robin's yells couldn't and her flames wavered as she turned her head. Raven was here, watching her with soft amethyst eyes and her arms folded beneath her cloak.

"He hurt Joey." Phoenix sounded painfully childlike but the flames died when Raven reached out a hand to touch her arm, instinctively knowing that they would burn her.

"I know, Nix. I know what he made you see but you have to stop or you'll be just like him." Robin frowned; she had never told him anything about her brother, let alone an attack but somehow Raven seemed to know. He added that to the list of things to find out later, along with just how Raven had known that Phoenix was losing it in the interrogation room. When Phoenix dropped a surprised Imago back into his seat unceremoniously and the empath pulled the other girl into a loose embrace, his frown deepened.

"Mom wouldn't have… it was all him." Phoenix let Raven's power swathe her form as she took them from the room, leaving Robin alone with Imago Dei.

"She has a point." The man muttered. "Dear Deathstroke wouldn't be what he is today without me." There was a ring of melted flesh around the villain's neck that would need treatment, but there was also a distinctly proud grin on his face. Robin shook his head and walked towards the door.

"Shut up."

/

"How did you know I was losing it?" Raven had teleported them back to her room and they sat, side by side, on the firebird's bed. The empath gave a soft smile.  
"Did Robin ever tell you about our bond?" Phoenix nodded. "When you gave me some of your life force earlier, you formed a bond with me as well. Strong emotions like anger are easy to sense, even so early on. Soon enough you should be able to sense them too and it shouldn't be too long before you can catch the more subtle emotions too."

"Thank you. For stopping me. You know, I really wanted to kill him." Raven's smile grew broader and she nudged the other girl gently with her shoulder.

"I know, Nix. I know your mind almost as well as my own now."

"Well that makes one of us, I guess." Phoenix tried a smile of her own as the quip fell from her lips. "But really; I needed stopping and I don't think Robin could've done it."  
"You'd have stopped yourself before you got too far." The empath sounded so sure and there was a large part of Phoenix that wanted to believe her. "You would; I know it."

"That's going to get really creepy really fast." The firebird grinned and quickly planted a light kiss onto her friend's cheek. She turned away before her blush had finished blooming and got to her feet. "I should get back to the infirmary. You can stay here and rest if you want." She half turned when she got to the door. "Thank you, Rachel." Then passed out of sight, leaving the half demon alone with a pale hand touching her cheek and a gentle frown pulling at her eyebrows, even as her lips twitched into a small smile.

"Yeah."

* * *

I'm bending the rules of the universe again, I know but, hey, if Nix has a berserk button it's going to be good little Joey.


	9. IX: Lie Down and Die

Hey lookee; a new chapter :D I know, took me long enough right? Ah well my dear muse finally found her way home and she was bearing gifts :)

* * *

Phoenix jolted awake as the obscenely loud alarm screamed through the tower. The only thing that kept her from hitting the floor beside the sofa was her battle-honed reflexes. As it was she landed precariously on her toes, a blanket tangled around her ankles. She wasn't sure when she'd fallen asleep; the last thing she remembered was talking with her father on the phone, but it was barely light now, the sun just beginning to poke his head above the horizon.

The other Titans barrelled into the main room some of them still putting their uniforms on. Rose on the other hand had simply refused to get dressed and stood before her in stripy blue pyjamas.  
Beastboy stumbled in last, hopping on one foot as he struggled to get his shoe on. "What's going on? Not even criminals get up this early back home." He complained earning him a dark look from Rose and a light punch to be quiet from Raven.

Phoenix tapped at the computer as fast as her fingers would let her and found that the alarm had been triggered from within. She tapped faster until she found exactly which corridor's alarm had been tripped. It was the top floor. The door by the roof to be specific. She started to run for the stairs, only thinking of stopping Imago before he got away but a gentle hand on her arm stopped her. She looked up to see Robin's masked eyes watching her carefully.

"What's going on, Nix?" She didn't know why but all of a sudden his use of her nickname annoyed her almost as much as his touch did. She shook him off.

"Imago's escaping via the roof." Phoenix sent a short glance Raven's way, knowing that she would understand what she was saying and, sure enough, a second later the entire Titan group, including Rose were stood on the cliff above the tower.

"Damn, it's cold out here." Rose muttered, wrapping her arms around herself. "How are you warm?" Raven's lips twitched into a smirk that was shadowed by her hood.

"We remembered that it's winter." She replied softly. The villainess rolled her eyes.

"Figures." Rose sighed, resorting to rubbing her arms in an attempt to keep warm.

"Should've put some clothes on, Ravager." Robin said, twirling his Bo staff through his fingers, anxious for a fight. Phoenix hushed them all as a white figure stepped out onto the cliff top.

"Good morning Cydney, dear." Masked eyes flickered across their group to land upon Ravager. "And big sister Rose too. It's one big family reunion up here."

Phoenix suddenly realised that she had left Crimson and Starfire guarding the cell door. The fact that the alarm had been tripped upstairs meant that neither of them had had chance to do it down there. She clenched her fists and small embers began to dance across her knuckles.

"What did you do to Starfire and Crimson?" She spoke through gritted teeth, ignoring the rush of calm that assailed her. No doubt Raven had sent it through that bond they'd made. She sent a brief bolt of annoyance back and cringed internally at the intake of breath from behind her.

"They're getting some much needed rest." Imago was smiling behind his mask, she could tell, and she wanted nothing more than to burn that smile away. "But they'll be ok. I don't want them anymore." She went cold.

"What do you want?" Both Rose and Robin stepped forwards to flank her, both clutching weapons. Dimly she recognised a hint of worry from Raven and saw a green tiger to the other side of her sister.

"A rematch with the daughter of a dear friend." Ravager drifted in front of her, a glint in her single eye.

"Sure, let me go fetch my sword and I'll be right with you." Phoenix found it incredibly hard to believe that her sister had left her room without a weapon. She started to walk past Imago and, as if to prove Phoenix right, a small blade was thrown from within Ravager's sleeve, flying towards Imago's masked face.

The villain caught the knife a hair's breadth from his face and tossed it carelessly aside.

"Kind though your offer is, it wasn't you I was referring to." The flames on Phoenix's knuckles began to creep along her hands, towards her wrists. Well aware that she was losing control she pushed past the hands that sought to keep her grounded and moved towards Imago.

"Phoenix, stop." Robin's voice threatened to break but held firm as he gave his order.

"Nix, come on." Beastboy tried to wheedle a change of decision out of her but she ignored him too. This was the man who'd killed Ayla, sent Ike to the point of death and hospitalized Crimson. This was the man who'd tried to kill her twice and nearly succeeded in wiping her Rose out too. This was the man who'd forced a much younger Phoenix to watch as he slit her baby brother's throat.

"Good girl." Imago's voice crooned at her and her flames roiled at the sound. "You win when I die. You lose when I get away. I would advise your friends, _and family_ not to interfere; I do not wish to play with them any more." It was a thinly veiled threat.

"Cyd, please. Listen to reason." Ravager was begging. She was actually begging.

"No. If I let him get away now then it was all for nothing." Only Raven didn't say anything. There was only a wave of sad acceptance through their bond followed by a word: _'luck'. _

The pyromancer smiled to herself, waving a flame swathed hand. At her command a ring of fire leapt into behind, easily towering over both her and Imago.

"Clever aren't you." Imago summoned a sword of his power and a square shield on his other arm. Phoenix shrugged.

"I like to think so." The other Titans were yelling on the other side of the flames but she ignored them. They didn't yell when Robin fought Slade alone and they would soon learn that this was no different.

She threw a ball of orange fire at him but it was easily blocked by the shining shield. The next was simply dodged and the third was met again with the shield. A fire taking the shape of her namesake flew from her fingers, wheeling around the ring to hit the villain's side. That too crashed harmlessly into the shield.

"Come on, Cydney. You can do better than this." He taunted her, earning a few more fireballs thrown towards his head. Not one of them made contact. "Or perhaps not." Imago lunged for her them, thrusting the sword towards her ribcage. It was pure reflex that allowed her to jump out of the way, countering with a flaming hand pressed against his already burned neck, setting the bandages alight.

She smirked then, watching as his weapons faded to allow him to tear at the bandage. Phoenix slipped through his guard and landed a fiery punch to his face, feeling the mask crack beneath her knuckles. Beastboy cheered from outside the ring.

"Go and find Star and Red." She called to him and the cheering stopped.

"A leader to the end, I see. Richard taught you well." She lashed out again and his power wasn't fast enough to stop the fireball exploding to ash against his chest. "As did your father." Phoenix didn't think she'd ever hated someone as much as she did this man.

He flew for her again and this time the blade grazed her side, tearing easily through her uniform and her flesh. She barely felt the pain as she caught hold of his sword arm and held it still, letting her flames sear against the limb. Imago screamed with pain when she finally let go. She didn't see the shield morph into a blade but she certainly felt that second blade slip into her back and she saw it exit her stomach. "But it would appear that they didn't teach you well enough."

The pain was blinding as her flames flickered out around them. Imago's sword slipped from her body and disappeared while she reached out to the villain with fingers that were rapidly going numb before hitting the floor.

"Imago…" She breathed his name as he looked down at her. Just beyond him she could see that Beastboy had done as he was told. Ravager and Robin were both being held in place by Raven's touch.

"Yes, my dear? Would you like me to inform your father that I've taken another child from him?" She gritted her teeth against the grey at the edge of her vision and attempted to push herself to stand. A wave of strength that could only have come from Raven rushed through her and she found herself standing, albeit unsteadily, with blood running freely down her body. She shivered violently.

"Go to Hell." Fire burst to life all along her body accompanied by a scream that she thought might be her own but as the flames leapt from her arm to Imago's as if of their own accord she couldn't be sure.

Imago's own screams brought a smile to her face as her legs crumpled beneath her and the cool grass against her face helped her fade into the dark.

* * *

Yes. Yes I do have a penchant for leaving chapters with characters bleeding and/or burning to death. Or just dying in any way for that matter.


	10. X: Some Semblance of Normality

I told you my muse brought goodies :) enough for my two part finale at least :D

* * *

"She said she was ok. She promised." Raven looked at the midnight blue haired boy sat in the bed beside Phoenix's with sorrow in his eyes. The boy's sister was dead and now his leader was close to it. Raven hadn't the energy to heal her injuries completely and Phoenix had known it from the moment that she'd stepped into the ring with Imago.

"I know." She'd have lied if she thought it would do any good. Told the boy that Phoenix was fine and would be up and about in no time. But not even the fourteen year old would believe that. Starfire hadn't believed that when she'd spoken the words herself.

Beastboy had found Starfire and Crimson tied together in Imago's cell, unconscious and covered minor bruises and cuts. The worst injury between them had been Crimson's concussion.

Raven sighed and ran a hand across her face, rubbing her eyes in an attempt to remove the ache behind them. Phoenix's wound had passed clean through her body but had, by some miracle, refrained from passing through her organs. Only veins, flesh and muscle had been damaged by Imago's shining blade. She'd lost a lot of blood but she was still breathing and Raven's power had at least managed to heal the worst of the damage. But the firebird had yet to wake after three days of unconsciousness.

"How is she?" Rose peered around the door, a phone pressed to her ear but angled away from her face. Raven didn't need to be a mind reader to know that Slade was on the other end of the phone.

"No change." She should have wanted to call Robin so he could trace the call but she couldn't begrudge the man wanting to keep tabs on his injured daughter. Rose nodded and retreated from the room.

Only Raven had stayed with her the whole time; Beastboy had left first, unable to watch another friend die and was quickly followed by Starfire. A day had passed before Crimson kissed his honorary sister on the forehead and left without a word. Another day had seen Robin punching the life out of the punching bag in the gym. Then Rose, hours later to answer the ringing phone at her waist and Raven was left alone save for Ike, bound to the bed beside his leader's.

The door swung open and Rose pulled up a chair beside Raven's.  
"Dad's going nuts. Wants to come over but can't because Robin won't let him anywhere near. Wants to send a doctor over but he knows Cyd'd never accept it if she was awake. He doesn't know what to do." Rose took hold of her sister's hand.

"Do me a favour, Cyd? Wake up and tell Dad you're ok and while you're at it you can make your girlfriend here smile. She's been looking down for days." There was nothing but silence for a few moments but then Phoenix's hand closed around Rose's.

"She's not… my girlfriend." The denial fell broken from her lips but both girls grinned anyway, Rose hopping to her feet to pass her sister a drink of water and Raven to press the button that would call for the others.

"How do you feel, Cyd?" Raven smiled for the first time in days, watching dark blue eyes focus on her.

"For lack of a better word; ow." She tried to sit up and was held in place by Rose's hand. Her sister tried for a stern look but the smile ruined it.

"Stay still. I'll call Dad back." Before the phone could even dial the other Titans flooded the room, Robin in the lead.

"She's awake?" He drilled Raven quickly.

"She's right here. Ask her yourself." Phoenix answered for her though and was immediately pulled into a gentle half-hug by the boy. "Never knew you cared, Rich." She muttered, pulling out of the hug as best she could to accept another from Crimson. And another from Starfire and finally Beastboy.

"I'd hug you too but I'm mad at you right now." The firebird laughed aloud, ignoring the pain as she turned her head to look at Ike. "You promised you were ok."

"I was when I said I was. Now not so much." The boy folded his arms but offered her a relieved smile.

"Ok, I forgive you." Raven smiled at the interaction and was startled by a short flash of reassurance that did not belong to her. She looked at the injured Titan leader to see the familiar spark of mischief in the dark blue eyes directed at her, even as she turned to talk to Crimson.

"What happened to Imago?" The red-eyed hero blinked, looking around him for support.

"You don't remember?" It was Robin who saved him from answering but Phoenix moved her gaze along to Rose.

"Would I be asking if I did?" Beastboy swallowed a smile.

"He's dead." It couldn't have been just Raven who saw the flicker of triumph pass through the dark eyes as Robin spoke. "That last fire was enough to melt his mask to his face. Then he face melted. He was still dying when you passed out." Robin sounded like he was condemning her for killing the villain but the tone seemed to wash over Phoenix and she smiled.

"I'm glad." Phoenix whispered.

"I'm glad to." Ike's voice was just as soft but there was a fierceness there too that she had never heard from him before, along with a kind of pride that Phoenix had been the one to do it.

"I wish you hadn't had to do it. But I'm proud of you, Cydney." This voice was distorted by the device that held it but it was unmistakably Slade's.

"Thanks, Dad." The firebird smiled as her sister put the phone to her ear, taking the speaker of it. "I know. Yes, I know. Dad, I don't need a doctor, least of all Wintergreen." Rose shot Raven a conspiratorial grin. "You know we argue too much to get along for long. Yes, Dad, I'm in the best hands possible." One of Phoenix's hands closed around Raven's for a second and the half-demon blushed slightly. "I promise. I highly doubt you could kill her if you tried." The door to the infirmary closed loudly as Robin left. "That was Robin leaving by the way." Phoenix sighed, rolling her eyes. "I'm hanging up. No seriously, I am. I love you too."

She hung up and passed Rose the phone back. "He's actually worse than you."

"He's our father." Rose shrugged.

"No matter how hard Robin tried to forget." Crimson took Robin recently vacated space at her side as they devolved into comfortable silence broken only by meaningless chatter.

/

It was another week before Phoenix was deemed healthy enough to leave her bed. And another few days until she went against Raven's orders and was caught sparring with Rose before her sister returned to Gotham City.

Now they were all stood in the hangar, beside the T-Ship, Phoenix covered in more bandages that when they'd arrived but flanked by Crimson and Ike. Crimson was saying an emotional goodbye to Starfire and Ike was exchanging phone numbers with Beastboy who he'd taken quite a shine to.

"I'm sorry it took me so long to get out here." Robin told his counterpart softly, a gloved hand caressing the cut high on her cheek that stubbornly refused to heal. It would scar, Raven wagered, but it seemed not to bother Phoenix.

"Don't beat yourself up about it." The firebird caught Robin's hand in her own with a grin and returned it to his side. "That's my job." Robin chuckled as he was pulled into a gentle hug, mindful not to jar the mostly healed stab wound in the girl's stomach.

"Promise me you'll take care of yourself." He whispered in her ear, drawing an answer laugh from her. She caught Raven's eye over his shoulder, somehow knowing she was listening.

"As much as you will." Robin pulled away.

"Touché." He started towards the T-Ship. "I'll call you in a few days; see how you're getting on." He waited long enough to see the salute before taking his seat. Raven stepped forwards next.

"Hey." Phoenix smiled. "Guess I lost my bed-warmer, huh?" The empath laughed quietly.

"Yeah. Your face is going to scar." When Raven touched the mark Phoenix didn't move her hand away.  
"I know but hey, could've been worse." She was right; Ike's wound would scar too and so would her stab wound. At least the mark on her face was only a single straight line rather than a mass of scar tissue. "I'll miss you, Rae." Raven smiled, pulling the Titans North Leader into an embrace.

"I'll miss you too." It was Phoenix who broke the embrace this time.

"Tell your boyfriend I said hey when you get back." Raven frowned.

"I'm not dating Cyborg anymore. You guys hadn't heard?"  
"No; we were a little busy this past month or so what with the homicidal bad guy running around and all." The empath cringed; it shouldn't have been so easy to forget. "But hey. I guess I don't have to feel guilty then."

"About what?" A devilish glint took up residence in dark blue eyes as the firebird pressed her lips gently against Raven's. The contact was feather light but somewhere something exploded. Phoenix smiled as she pulled away.  
"About that." Both girls were well aware that everyone was watching them and Phoenix was especially glad that her sister had already left.  
"I should go; the others are waiting." Raven felt the flash of hurt that raced through Phoenix's eyes even as the usual smile widened.

"That you should." Phoenix turned to retreat to the wall, out of the way but Raven caught her arm. On a whim she pulled the firebird into another kiss, a deeper kiss. When they broke apart they were both red as Phoenix's flames and breathing slightly heavier than before.

A wolf whistle from the T-Ship forced them to look away from each other to send a small shot of their powers towards Beastboy who yelped and hid.

"I'll call you when we get home." Raven promised with a smile. "Stay safe." Phoenix grinned like a fool.

"Always."

* * *

There you go Rosie. Phoenix/Raven is now absolutely canon in my universe at least ;)

Thank you if you've suffered through my erraticness thus far and I apologize for the outrageous amount of time it took for me to decide on an ending.


End file.
